Sleeping dolls



March 28, 1967 c. REFABERT SLEEPING DOLLS Filed May 27, 1964 United States Patent G 3,310,908 SLEEPING DOLLS Claude Reiabert, Paris, France, assignor t Etablissements Clodrey-Polyflex, Paris, France, a society of France Filed May 27, 1964, Ser. No. 370,447 Claims priority, application France, June 7, 1963, 937,420 4 Claims. (Cl. 46-169) The present invention relates to dolls which, when lying horizontally, seem to go to sleep when rocked about. For this purpose, in known systems, the dolls eyes are operated by a counterweight pivoted to the dolls head about a first axis, parallel to the line of the eyes, said counterweight being rigid with a first element, for instance a fork, cooperating with a second element, for instance a toothed rod forming a double rack, pivoted to the dolls head about a second axis located in the plane of symmetry of the doll and at least substantially horizontal when the doll is lying on her back. Thus, when the doll is rocked about, the first element meshes successively and alternately with the second element, thus gradually coming into the position where the dolls eyes are closed.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a doll of this type which gradually closes her eyes when dandled, i.e. given a reciprocating movement substantially in the direction of its longitudinal axis.

The invention consists chiefly in providing the second mentioned element with means for producing, in response to a dandling movement of the doll, an oscillation of said second element about said second axis, which produces the gradual closing of the dolls eyes.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the appended drawings, given merely by way of example, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the mechanism according to the present invention, the doll laying on her back and the casing which represents the head of the doll being shown in section by a middle longitudinal vertical plane;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view seen from the direction illustrated by the arrow II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but with the head inclined toward the right;

FIG. 4 shows the dolls head in front view with parts in section on the line IVIV of FIG. 1 and portions cut away.

The means for controlling the dolls eyes include a counterweight 1 rigid with eyes 2, which are connected together by a transverse member 3 and which are pivotable about an axis 4 fixed with respect to the casing H of the dolls head. When the doll is brought into the horizontal position, eyes 2, each of which carries, integral therewith, a portion imitating the eyelid, tend to pivot about axis 4 in the direction of arrow 1 under the action of counterweight 1 tending, under the action of gravity, to pass from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 (for which position the eyes are open) into the position 1a shown by dotted lines in said FIG. 1 (and for which the eyes are closed).

In order to prevent eyes 2 from closing by rotation about axis 4, under the action of counterweight 1, as soon as the doll is moved from the vertical position to the horizontal position, I provide a kind of escapement gear means or device owing to which counterweight 1 causes eyes 2 to close only as a result of a rocking movement given to the doll, for instance in a cradle. This escapement gear means essentially comprises two elements. The first of these elements consists of a fork 5 rigid with eyes 2 and counterweight 1, whereas the second element consists of a rod 6 pivoted to the dolls head casing H about an axis 7 substantially horizontal when the doll is lying on ice her back and at right angles to axis 4. The distance between axes 4 and 7 is a.

Rod 6 carries, on either side of its plane of symmetry passing through axis 7, two sets of teeth 8a and 8b disposed in staggered relationship with respect to each other. Said teeth 8a and 8b, which are in the form of saw-teeth are formed by providing in rod 6 cuts oblique with respect to said rod. Thus rod 6 is like a double rack.

Concerning fork 5, particularly visible in FIG. 4, it comprises two parallel branches 9a and 9b located at a d1stance from each other slightly greater than the radius of the cross section of rod 6. The length of these branches 9a and 9b is such that, whatever he the position of eyes 2, rod 6 is always located between said branches 9a and 9b, the inner face of which are each provided with a sharp ridge. Owing to these sharp mner ridges the alternating engagement or branches 9a and 9b with the teeth of sets 8a and 8b is facilitated.

. Gradual closing of the eyes takes place in the followmg manner.

It will be supposed that the doll is laying on her back in a substantially horizontal position such that rod 6 is in a position close to the vertical (FIGS. 1 and 2). Counterweight then tends to bring eyes 2 into the closed position. But the action of said counterweight is opposed by the engagement of one of the branches (9a or 9b) of fork 5 with the lowest tooth of one of the series of teeth 8a and 8b, this engagement taking place as soon as rod 6 comes into a position which is not exactly vertical, which happens under the effect of any unavoidable shock or inclination imparted to the doll. In the case illustrated by FIG. 2, it is branch 9b which is in mesh with the lowest tooth of set 8b.

If the doll is now rocked about a horizontal axis parallel to its longitudinal axis and located in the vertical plane containing said longitudinal axis, the dolls head is alternately inclined toward the right and toward the left. If the head is first inclined toward the right from the position shown by FIG. 2, rod 6, under the action of gravity, pivots about axis 7 so that the lowest tooth of set 8b is moved away from the branch 9b with which it was in mesh. Fork 5 therefore no longer offers a resistance to the tendency of counterweight 1 to pivot about axis 4. The resulting movement of eyes 2 and said counterweight 1 about axis 4 brings branch 9a into mesh with the immediately next tooth of set 8a. From this position the head is then moved into a position inclined toward the left thus releasing branch 9a from the tooth of set 8a with which it was in mesh and engaging branch 9b with the second tooth of set 8b. After every movement toward the right or toward the left, the whole of eyes 2 or counterweight 1 turns through an angle corresponding to passage of the fork from engagement with one of the teeth of rod 6 to engagement with the next tooth until branch 9b comes into engagement with the upper tooth of set 8b. In this position of the fork and of eyes 2 and counterweight 1, the dolls eyes are fully closed.

FIG. 3 shows the dolls head in a position such that a single movement of the head toward the left will be sufficient for bringing the dolls eye into fully closed position;

According to the main feature of the present invention, the lower end of rod 6 carries means for producing, in response to a dandling movement of the doll, a force capable of releasing branch 9a or 9b of fork 5 from that of the teeth of set 8a or 8b with which it was in mesh, so that the other branch of said fork 5 is brought into engagement with the next tooth of rod 6.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated by the drawings, there is fixed to the lower end of rod 6 a closed tube 10 in which is movable a ball 11 of mass M. Tube 10 is fixed to rod 6 in such position 3 that, on the one hand, it is located in a substantially horizontal plane when the doll is laying on her back and that, on the other hand, it makes an angle approximating 45 with either of axes 4 and 7, as visible in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.

The operation is as follows:

It will be supposed that the doll is laying on her back, her eyes being open and that instead of rocking said doll as in a cradle, it is given a dandling movement substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis as would be produced by someone holding the doll in ones arms.

The position of the parts being that of FIGS. 1 and 2 and ball 11 being, for instance, located at the left end of tube 10, if the doll is given a substantially longitudinal movement toward the left of FIG. 1, the inertia of ball 11 prevents it from moving together with tube 10 until it comes into contact with the other end of said tube. The mass M of ball 11 i such that its inertia causes rod 6 to pivot about axis 7 through an angle sutficient for causing branch 9b to be moved away from the first of the teeth of set 8b. The whole of eyes 2 and counterweight 1 can then pivot, under the action of counterweight 1, through an angle such that branch 9a comes into engagement with the first of the teeth of set 8a. When the doll is then moved back in the opposed direction. ball 11 and the other end of tube 10 again strike each other, causing rod 6 to be pivoted in the other direction, and so on.

These operations are repeated until fork comes into mesh with the last of the teeth of rod 6 (the last of teeth 8b in the example shown by the drawings), the eyes of the doll being then completely shut.

The doll according to the present invention therefore has the advantage with respect to those existing up to the present time of gradually closing her eyes not only as a consequence of rocking in a cradle but also of dandling in the arms.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be a practical and efficient embodiment of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of my invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A dolls head which comprises, in combination, a casing, two eyes pivotally mounted in said casing about a first axis, parallel to the line passing through both of said eyes, means including a counterweight rigid with said eyes so as to urge them toward the open position thereof when said head is vertical and toward the closed position thereof when said head is at least substantially horizontal, escapement gear means comprising a first element rigid with said counterweight and a second element pivoted to said casing about a second axis located in the plane of symmetry of said doll head and horizontal when said head is at least substantially horizontal, said escapement gear means being adapted to produce a step by step closing of said eyes when said head in horizontal position is rocked about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the line passing through both of said eyes, and means for producing, in response to a reciprocating movement substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said dolls head in horizontal position, an oscillating movement of said second element and the operation of said escapement gear means.

2. A dolls head which comprises, in combination, a casing, two eyes pivotally mounted in said casing about a first axis, parallel to the line passing through both of said eyes, means including a counterweight rigid with said eyes so as to urge them toward the open position thereof when said head is vertical and toward the closed position thereof when said head is at least substantially horizontal, escapement gear means comprising a first element rigid with said counterweight and consisting of a fork having its branches in a plane parallel to said first axis and a second element pivoted to said casing about a second axis located in the plane of symmetry of said dolls head and horizontal when said head is at least substantially horizontal, said second element consisting of a rod extending downwardly from said second axis between said :fork branches and provided with two sets of teeth adapted to cooperate with said fork branches, respectively, said teeth being oblique in the downward direction, the teeth of one set being offset with respect to those of the other set, the total thickness of said rod between the edges of said teeth being smaller than the distance between the branches of said fork, said escapement gear means being adapted to produce a tep by step closing of said eyes when said head in horizontal position is rocked about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the line passing through both of said eyes and means including a mass movably carried by said rod for producing, by inertia, in response to a reciprocating movement substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said dolls head in horizontal position, an oscillating movement of said rod about said second axis between the branches of said fork.

3. A dolls head which comprises, in combination, a casing, two eyes pivotally mounted in said casing about a first axis, parallel to the line passing through both of said eyes, means including a counterweight rigid with said eyes so as to urge them toward the open position thereof when said head is vertical and toward the closed position thereof when said head is at least substantially horizontal, escapement gear means comprising a first element rigid with said counterweight and consisting of a fork having its branches in a plane parallel to said first axis and a second element pivoted to said casing about a second axis located in the plane of symmetry of said dolls head and horizontal when said head is at least substantially horizontal, said second element consisting of a rod extending downwardly from said second axis between said fork branches and provided with two sets of teeth adapted to cooperate with said fork branches, respectively, said teeth being oblique in the downward direction, the teeth of one set being oflFset with respect to those of the other set, the total thickness of said rod between the edges of said teeth being smaller than the distance between the branches of said fork, said escapement gear means being adapted to produce a step by step closing of said eyes when said head in horizontal position is rocked about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the line passing through both of said eyes, a tube closed at both ends carried by said rod transversely thereto, said tube, when the dolls head i at least substantially horizontal, being oblique to both of said axes, and a mass slidable in said tube.

4. A dolls head according to claim 3 wherein said mass is a ball.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 564,563 7/1896 Hinrichs et al 46-469 1,775,580 9/1930 Woolgar 46-169 2,133,635 10/1938 Schaeffer 46-169 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,301,999 7/1962 France.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DOLL''S HEAD WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A CASING, TWO EYES PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASING ABOUT A FIRST AXIS, PARALLEL TO THE LINE PASSING THROUGH BOTH OF SAID EYES, MEANS INCLUDING A COUNTERWEIGHT RIGID WITH SAID EYES SO AS TO URGE THEM TOWARD THE OPEN POSITION THEREOF WHEN SAID HEAD IS VERTICAL AND TOWARD THE CLOSED POSITION THEREOF WHEN SAID HEAD IS AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL, ESCAPEMENT GEAR MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST ELEMENT RIGID WITH SAID COUNTER WEIGHT AND A SECOND ELEMENT RIGID SAID CASING ABOUT A SECOND AXIS LOCATED IN THE PLANE OF SYMMETRY OF SAID DOLL''S HEAD AND HORIZONTAL WHEN SAID HEAD IS AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL, SAID ESCAPEMENT GEAR MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO PRODUCE A STEP BY STEP CLOSING OF SAID EYES WHEN SAID HEAD IN HORIZONTAL POSITION IS ROCKED ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE LINE PASSING THROUGH BOTH OF SAID EYES, AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING, IN RESPONSE TO A RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID DOLL''S HEAD IN HORIZONTAL POSITION, AN OSCILLATING MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND ELEMENT AND THE OPERATION OF SAID ESCAPEMENT GEAR MEANS. 